Minnesota Lawyer Blog

The folks at Sieben, Grose, Von Holtum & Carey recently launched a new ad campaign that I predict will become a watershed moment in Twin Cities law firm marketing.

The two TV commercials, coined "We've Seen It All," are fun, clever and far more amusing than most personal injury ads out there. And this is exactly the sort of thing we here at Minnesota Lawyer have been harping about for years: law firms need to embrace video.

They also had the foresight to post their videos on YouTube. Now, I don't expect views to reach the viral fame of E*Trade baby, but it's a start.

And if I ever encounter a UFO or banana while behind the wheel, I know who I'm calling!

Our national sister publication – Lawyers USA – ran a story this week about a Trusts and Estates attorney in Massachusetts who has hit upon a new gimmick for generating business – “will-signing parties.” (See "Will-signing parties enliven solo's estate practice.")

Modeled after Tupperware parties, the will-signing parties are held in someone's home. The host invites friends and relatives to participate. The attorney requires a minimum of five couples or individuals for each party.

Before the party, the lawyer asks each couple to fill out a questionnaire about their estate planning needs, and then talks with them by phone to answer questions. Each couple reviews a draft of their documents before the party.

At the party, each couple meets separately with the lawyer to review their documents. When they are ready to sign, another couple is called in to act as witnesses. Then presumably everybody goes out on the porch for barbecued chicken.

I can’t quite decide if this is a great marketing idea or something truly tasteless.

“Oh, I’m sorry honey, I got some mustard on our bequest to Junior. Could you pass me a paper towel to clean it off – oh, and some more potato salad while you’re at it, thanks.”

I am presuming that the guests lay off the beer until after they sign the wills.

Minnesota Lawyer's national sister publication, Lawyers USA, reports in an upcoming piece that a growing number of women-only client outings are being hosted by law firms throughout the country. Many of the events have a decidedly feminine flair, as some women attorneys opt for glamour over golf to schmooze with their female clients.

Here's a taste of the article:

On a Tuesday evening last fall, 19 women lawyers from a large Chicago law firm got together with 60 women clients to browse designer shoes together at the Cole Haan store on Michigan Avenue.

They sipped cocktails, snacked on appetizers and swapped business cards. Many also used a special discount to buy shoes at the upscale store, which closed early to the public for the private party.

"It was more successful than I think we ever would have guessed," said Leslee Cohen, a principal at Much Shelist and co-chair of the firm's women's initiative. "The women were shopping and networking with each other. We made contacts for this law firm, and our guests made contacts with each other, which they found very helpful."

The event was one of a growing number of women-only client outings hosted by law firms throughout the country. Many of the events have a decidedly feminine flair, as women attorneys opt for glamour over golf to schmooze with their female clients.

Click here for more. (Password required.)

In Minnesota, we have the “Juris Divas” a group of women lawyers who bill themselves as “smart, sassy lawyers or judges who enjoy good times, good stories and good friends — and a good martini or two.”

When we reported on the group last year, we noted its organizers quipped they were tired of listening to their male colleagues “prattle on and on about golf or football or their wives and kids,” and would much rather be talking about “spa day, our latest shopping jags, the latest gossip, and other girl talk while sipping our favorite libations.”

For more information about the Juris Divas, contact Minneapolis criminal defense attorney Carolyn Agin Schmidt at caslaw@comcast.net.